What we do know is that many other fields are using mandatory screening. Many health care providers, especially in emergency rooms, do a mandatory screening when any person comes into their facility for attention. Mediators in different parts of the country are regulated differently, but increasingly there is a requirement for screenings. The British Columbia Family Law Act introduces the notion of mandatory screening.
The Department of Justice has, just today, I believe, posted on their website a research report that Luke's Place prepared over the past year, looking at the value of mandatory standardized screening tools for family law practitioners. I think it's something that might be helpful for the committee to review as you're considering possible amendments.
All of the international research—we looked at screening tools from around the world in doing this research—showed that a good tool used properly, which means by a professional who has been trained in how to use and interpret it, leads to more accurate disclosures of family violence. This does not necessarily mean more disclosures—that's not the goal—but it does lead to more accurate disclosures of abuse, and also of the kind of abuse. As Mr. Pinsky has said, family violence exists on a spectrum, and it's important to understand where on that spectrum the client is situated, if at all.